The Kings Inn had only been open for 12 years when it closed down, for good, in 1986. In the nearly three decades since, the hotel and casino has withered into what many people thought was disrepair. The blighted property got to the point that former Reno Mayor Bob Cashell wanted to bulldoze the building. Bentar Development bought the building, late last year. They recently got the permit for the demolition phase of the remodel.
"The owners, now, have looked at the building and decided that, structurally, it's a very sound building," Bill Thomas, Assistant City Manager said. "It just needs to be repurposed."
The Las Vegas-based developer has plans to convert the building into 144 apartment units.
"It's exciting to see, much like the Whitney Peak that people are coming in, investors are coming in and actually reusing these buildings," Thomas said.
Broken windows and graffiti are just a few of the physical problems that have impacted the Kings Inn over the past three decades.
"Sitting vacant and really being an eyesore, not only to the area, but also a real negative about our downtown," Thomas said. "It's great to see something happening, something positive."
Thomas says this is great news for revitalizing downtown Reno, as more people move to that area. Mike and Sharlene Pyrski have lived in a downtown condo since 2006, just a few blocks from the Kings Inn. They say this project is long overdue.
"I'm excited about it, just that something is actually being done because it's looked very, very sad for years," Sharlene Pyrski said.
"Now that they're actually doing some work on it, I'm optimistic," Mike Pyrski said.
According to the property's owner, the building will be nearly completely gutted. Replacing everything from the elevators to the plumbing. The next step is submitting the plans for how the building will be redesigned.
"This statement of reinvestment and reinvigorating the building after 30 years is a very good sign for downtown Reno," Thomas said.
The project will require a lot of investment. The property's owner expects the renovation to cost between $8 million-$10 million. It could take about a 1.5 years to complete.
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